OutServe, the association of actively-serving LGBT military personnel, has chosen Orlando as the host city for its 2012 national conference.

The Second Annual OutServe International Leadership Conference will take place October 25 to 28, 2012, at the Shades of Green at Walt Disney World Resort (pictured), an Armed Forces Recreation Center.

The OutServe conference is a big win for Converge Orlando Inc., an LGBT tourism and conventions bureau that was formed last year by Central Florida’s LGBT chamber of commerce the Metropolitan Business Association.

“Orlando is now firmly established as a major destination for gay and lesbian visitors—and the OutServe Conference just proves it,” said Paul Queen, Converge Orlando’s director of marketing. “The city of Orlando is home to one of the nation’s highest proportion of LGBT people—7.7% of the total population. For the past decade Central Florida has been in the top ten in the number of gay visitors contributing, according to three major studies, in excess of $3 billion to the local economy.”

Converge Orlando's goal is to attract more gay travelers to Orlando. A recent survey by Community Marketing Inc., which specializes in gay tourism, found that Orlando ranks among the top 10 to 20 destinations in the U.S. for LGBT business and leisure travelers.

More information on gay-friendly Orlando is available here.

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Through the end of February 2012, New York City's Jumeirah Essex House is offering a special "Priscilla Package," which includes tickets to the over-the-top production of Priscilla Queen of the Desert The Musical, presented by Bette Midler. 

This special Broadway package provides guests with one night in a Standard King Room; a pair of premium tickets to Priscilla, playing at The Palace Theater, a pleasant 10-minute stroll from the hotel; and a sparkly Priscilla-themed confection. The price is $605 (inclusive of tax) per couple, based on availability.

To complete the evening, guests can also enjoy an optional three-course pre-theater dinner for two at South Gate, the hotel’s award-winning restaurant, for just $35 per person (exclusive of beverages, tax and gratuity).

 

 

"Our location on Central Park a few blocks north of Time Square is perfect for theatergoers," said Gary Schweikert, Regional Vice President, Americas & General Manager. "The luxury of Essex House, the romance of South Gate, and the spectacle of Priscilla will combine for an unforgettable [experience]."

Essex House, a historic art deco hotel located at Central Park, recently completed a $90 million upgraded.

Addition information and reservations are available by calling (888) 645-5697. 

Travel Note: One of the best ways to travel from the Washington, D.C. area to New York City is via Amtrak.  Ticketing information is available at www.amtrakridewithpride.com.

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Just in time for gay sunseekers planning a late winter or early spring escape, a collection of Palm Springs LGBT-friendly accommodations have partnered with some of the city's best restaurants to offers “Stay Two Nights and Dinner’s on Us” packages. 

Now through April 30, 2012, the packages feature eight gay and gay-friendly properties and 22 restaurants, and provides two night’s lodging and a $50 dining certificate for participating restaurants.  

Participating accommodations:

• East Canyon Hotel & Spa (includes a $50 spa credit per guest)
• El Mirasol Villas
• INNdulge
• McLean Company Rentals
• Palm Springs Travelodge
• Pura Vida
• Sakura Bed and Breakfast Inn
• Triangle Inn (includes up to two 90 minute massages)

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Image via Wikipedia

For travelers who know Miami's Delano, they know it has been one of South Beach's most stylish and decadent hotels for more than half a century. For those who have never been, it is not to be missed.

Built in 1947 and updated throughout the years, the towering art deco Delano is located directly on the beach.  Famed (and funky) designer Philippe Starck is responsible for much of the hotel's current decor that has attracted the likes of Ricky Martin and Madonna.

Through April 30, 2012, guests who make a reservation and pay with any American Express card can receive a complimentary upgrade, daily breakfast for two, and a $100 resort credit to use on any hotel service including dining at the Delano's new signature restaurant Biana (former Blue Door Fish), serving modern Italian cuisine. To qualify for this special promotion, reservations must be made by March 31; some blackout dates and restrictions may apply.

The Delano is a member of the International Gay and Lesbian Travel Association.

Information on visiting gay-friendly Miami and South Beach is available here.

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As previously reported by Elsewhere, a passenger on the Royal Caribbean's Allure of the Seas cruise ship went overboard near Cozumel, Mexico, during the early morning of Friday, Feb. 3.

The passenger has now been identified as Kenneth John Gemmell (pictured), from Bailieborough, Co Cavan, Ireland. 

Gemmell was one of more than 5,000 passengers taking part in a seven-day Caribbean cruise charted by Atlantis Events, which specializes in all-gay cruises. Early reports on the incident said that he fell from ship; however, it is now being reported that Royal Caribbean claims that footage from the ship's cameras show that Gemmell intentionally went overboard.

Despite an extensive search, Gemmell has not yet been found.

Edward Owens, a writer who covers the cruise industry for Examiner.com, published an article today reporting that Gemmell's family is seeking additional information:

His family back in Ireland is devastated by his loss, and now they're trying to put the pieces together as to what happened during the course of the cruise.

They are issuing an appeal to anyone on board the ship who might have met Kenneth during the cruise, to touch base with them. And they particularly would like to hear from the person who witnessed him going overboard. The family has said they want nothing more than to understand what drove their son, who had just turned 30 last Tuesday, to this.

The family says that some information has already come their way. One party told them that Kenneth may have been arguing with a ship's crew member (perhaps a bartender) in one of the bars late Thursday night or early Friday morning.  They were also told that the crew member, a man they understood was sharing a room with a Canadian citizen, left the ship in Cozumel.

Because of the lack of information, a family spokesman told examiner.com that some members of the family are finding it hard to accept that Kenneth actually went overboard.

Anyone who has information on this tragedy is asked to email Michael at michael@mhynes.com. The family says they just want to know what happened to their son. 

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Active duty military service members will be able to to enjoy one of the largest gay ski weeks for free.

StraightOut Media & Marketing, the producers of Telluride Gay Ski Week, announced yesterday that the ski week will celebrate the repeal of the discriminatory "don’t ask, don’t tell" policy by providing free VIP party passes for the week and holding a special military-themed dance party.  

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Former U.S. Air Force Captain Reichen Lehmkuhl (pictured) will serve as the host of the “Do Ask, Do Tell” party that will take place during Telluride Gay Ski Week. Lehmkuhl authored the book “Here’s What We’ll Say” that chronicled his time as a closeted service member at the U.S. Air Force Academy.  He is also one of the stars of  "The A-List New York" and winner of "The Amazing Race 4."

“This is the first Telluride Gay Ski since the defeat of the marginalizing 'don't ask, don't tell' policy for our LGBTQ U.S. military service members,” said Lehmkuhl in a press release issued by StraightOut Media & Marketing. “I'm excited not only to see the end-result of so many years of my and our community's hard work to end it, but also that so many of my military friends will be able to join us openly at Telluride Gay Ski Week. If all of this isn't a reason to celebrate together, I don't know what is!”

Telluride Gay Ski Week takes place Sat., Feb. 25 through Sat., March 3, 2012, in Colorado's Mountain Village and Telluride. A complete schedule of events and ticketing information are available at www.telluridegayskiweek.com.

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The Hyatt Regency Crystal City announced that it will celebrate its 30th birthday on Feb. 11, 2012 by sharing a special gift with its guests. For a limited time, guests can enjoy 30% off room rates plus 30% discount on food and beverage.

The “30 for 30" promotion is valid Feb. 7 through Feb. 29, 2012 for stays booked by Feb. 14, 2012. Guests must request offer code 30BDCC at time of reservation. A full non-refundable prepayment and 2-night minimum are required. For additional information on the discount or to make a reservation, visit www.crystalcity.hyatt.com or call (703) 418-1234.

The Hyatt Regency Crystal City is located in the heart of Arlington, Va. and just minutes from the Washington, D.C.’s many attractions, including the National Mall, the White House and the Pentagon. The hotel features 686 spacious guestrooms and suites.

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[UPDATE: PASSENGER IDENTIFIED - "Missing Atlantis gay cruise passenger identified."]

The Washington Post and Los Angeles' KABC-TV, are reporting that a passenger on Royal Caribbean's Allure of the Seas cruise ship has fallen overboard.

According to the various news reports, the incident occurred at approximately 7 a.m. this morning near Cozumel, Mexico. A search was conducted but no body has been found.  The victim has only been identified as a male British resident.

The Allure of the Seas is one of the world's largest cruise ships, and is currently under charter by Atlantis Events, which specializes in all-gay cruises.

This is the second year that Atlantis chartered the Allure. During last year's inaugural cruise, a passenger was arrested for the possession and distribution of a large amount of drugs.

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The Philadelphia Museum of Art yesterday premiered a new exhibition of artwork by one of history's most intriguing artists: Vincent van Gogh.

Van Gogh Up Close is described by the museum as a daring and innovative collection of works that broke with the past and dramatically altered the course of modern painting. Made between 1886 and 1890 in Paris, Arles, Saint-Rémy, and Auvers, the works in the exhibition concentrate on an important and previously overlooked aspect of van Gogh’s work: “close-ups” that bring familiar subjects such as landscape elements, still lifes, and flowers into the extreme foreground of the composition or focus on them in ways that are entirely unexpected and without precedent. These landscapes and still lifes have not previously been seen together or identified before as critical to our understanding of van Gogh’s artistic achievement.

The exhibition includes major loans from museums and private collections in Europe, North America, and Japan, and will be seen in the U.S. only at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, through May 6, 2012, before traveling to the National Gallery of Canada in Ottawa.

More than 70 works are featured, including 46 paintings by van Gogh and more than 30 comparative works such as Japanese woodblock prints by Utagawa Hiroshige and Hayashi Roshü; European prints and drawings by Jean Corot, Camille Pissarro, and Jacob Ruisdael; and photographs by Frederick Evans, August Kotzsch, and others.

Van Gogh Up Close is accompanied by a fully illustrated catalogue and will offer a wide range of programs, including a lecture on the artist by exhibition co-curator Joseph J. Rishel; a conversation about the legacy of van Gogh with a panel of contemporary artists; a film series; and a lecture and book signing with Steven Naifeh and Gregory White Smith, co-authors of the recent biography Van Gogh: The Life (February 12, 2 p.m.).

“Van Gogh Up Close explores an important facet of van Gogh’s work that underscores his importance as a path-finding modern artist,” comments Timothy Rub, the George D. Widener Director and CEO of the Philadelphia Museum of Art. “In seeking to share the intensity of his emotional response to the world around him as directly as possible, van Gogh took the traditional methods making pictures and changed the rules.”

Tickets at $25 for adults, $23 for seniors, $20 for students, and $12 for children ages 5 to 12.  Advanced tickets can be purchased online.

Hotel Packages and Amtrak Discount

The Philadelphia Museum of Art is offering four exclusive hotel packages that combine a premier overnight experience with tickets to the post-Impressionist feast for the eyes at the Museum, as well as 25% off in the Museum Store, and a special celebratory van Gogh dessert in the Museum’s Stephen Starr-operated Granite Hill restaurant.

Rail travelers planning a trip to Philadelphia to see Van Gogh Up Close can purchase discounted tickets, by visiting www.Amtrak.com/PhilaMuseum. Reservations must be made at least three days in advance. Limited availability; blackout dates and other restrictions apply.

Philadelphia ranks in the top 20 leisure destinations in the U.S. for gay travelers according to Community Marketing, Inc.'s 16th Annual LGBT Tourism Survey. Detailed information on visiting gay-friendly Philadelphia is available at www.visitphilly.com/gay-friendly-philadelphia.

Photo: Sunflowers, 1887. Vincent Willem van Gogh, Dutch, 1853 ‑ 1890. Oil on canvas, 17 x 24 inches (43.2 x 61 cm), Framed: 26 1/4 x 33 1/2 x 2 1/2 inches (66.7 x 85.1 x 6.4 cm). The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Rogers Fund.

California's gay-friendly City of Palm Springs is often described as a “living museum,” by design dwellers and architecture enthusiasts who gather in this famed desert city to experience its mid-century modern architecture, especially during Modernism Week, scheduled for Feb. 16 to 26, 2012.

Palm Springs has the largest concentration of mid-century modern architecture in the country, and to pay tribute to the unique landmarks, the 7th Annual Modernism Week will host more than 75 events including the popular Double-Decker Architecture Bus Tour, Interior Design Home Tour, Modernism Film Festival, Vintage Fashion Show and Architecture and Design Lecture Series.

Also returning is the popular Palm Springs Modernism Show & Sale that will showcase premier dealers displaying a wide range of vintage 20th Century furniture and decorative arts at the Palm Springs Convention Center, Feb. 18 to 20.

New tours and exhibits include the historic Annenberg Estate at Sunnylands, PreFab Showcase Village, Bike Tour of notable architecture and a Modern Garden Tour. Ticket information and a complete event schedule is available at www.modernismweek.com.

Great examples of Palm Springs' mid-century modern architecture can be found among the city's many LGBT resorts, including Triangle Inn, INNdulge, Century, Pura Vida and Queen of Hearts Resort. 

For more information on planning a trip to Palm Springs, visit www.visitgaypalmsprings.com.